The last eight miles of the Pallinup River to the estuary was an unbroken stretch of water. At the beginning it touched our farm "Marra" for this half of the distance, a part that especially presented so many exciting reasons for regular weekend entertainment - to swim, row our boat, fish and hunt ducks. A two-room cottage of weatherboards and corrugated iron was built mainly to allow the extra time needed to row our 12-foot wooden boat to the estuary as a special weekend event. That remaining four miles spelt much excitement to the mind of an eight-year-old, also endurance, when doing a turn on the oars.

There were very important landmarks enroute. The 'Paper Barks' was one spot for extra good fishing and opposite to which was a small peninsular, bordered with pigface and then sand at the water's edge. Such an inviting spot for some refreshment on the way. Out of sight, behind, was a well-chosen haven for ducks. 'The Yates' at a bend in the river, (one of several) was a worthy sight with its large yate trees growing close to the water. Red meat-ants there were a real pest when ashore. From around the bend, excitement tended to mount along with the first sighting of the estuary.

The river by then had begun to widen and continued to do so until the impressive score of one mile was reached near the end. But before that was a sheltered bay, alive with ducks with a floating mass of teal, black duck, mountain duck and swans. On sight of us they were quickly airborne enmass making a breath-taking sight. A wonderful fresh water spring trickled into the river nearby. It was of course, the main drawcard to the waterfowl, visitors and campers were glad to have such a water supply on hand also. There was an inviting clump of paperbarks on a floor of white sand.

Amongst the campers were two separate families of stud sheep breeders who declared the peace of the Pallinup plus fish and ducks were unequalled. Another regular was a doctor looking for an all-over tan. He let it be known that visitors were quite welcome providing their approach was noisy enough. Some business people from Perth came regularly for various reasons, mainly quiet and pristine surroundings.

Marra has a scrub paddock, including the fresh water spring, to give the Bungaree wethers a change of diet. Although fenced, it needed a shepherd on guard against dingoes. Extra heavy winter rains inland would fill the river's water level enough to open the bar into the sea. The great King George whiting would then come in in large numbers inviting an extra visit from Marra and more excitement for that little eight-year-old to whom the estuary was nothing short of magic.
Written by Peg Tyndale-Powell March 2001

"It was a wonderful stretch of water and there was so much you could do. If you were not taking an oar you could dangle your feet over in the water. Also there was always fishing tackle in the boat, you could drop an anchor over, we had an anchor, and then do a little fishing. Duck shooting was not allowed on the river on those occasions. It was only in the evenings when the ducks were in flight, looking for fresh water, usually dams on the farm."
Peg Tyndale Powell

"I always loved the river it's got some magic somehow about it, the birds of course, the scenery. The scenery from our kitchen window, we had the river there with the big pool and then the Stirlings on top of that. It's got some very nice pools. Through Boxwood it's very rugged through there and I remember someone reporting that there was a pair of peregrine falcons nesting on one of those cliffs at Boxwood. Viv and I went to the Boxwood golf club and walked down to the cliff and we found a lot of traces of them but we didn't see any there."
Ruth Moir

"When I go back down to that country, coast country, I've been down there with my grandfathers and my great grandfathers, I've been down with them when I was young. My uncles and my aunts and my mum and dad and people like this. Most of these people are not with us any more today and its all those memories come back to you and it's a wonderful feeling because you are reaching those people somehow, in memory, and I get this good feeling when I go down there. All along the coast, even when I go to Cape Riche the same thing, yes... seem to be making contact there somewhere and the memories flow back very freely. That's a good thing I think, it's wonderful to be able to do that I think. Most Noongar people from the coast who have connections down that way feel the same. It's like if you went away for a holiday, away from your husband and your kids, come back and it feels good the closer you're getting to home. It's a nice feeling and it's the same feeling I get going down on the river camping. Even when I go back there now I get a wonderful feeling because my wife is no longer with me, she's passed on, and we roamed all of that country and we know it right through."
Aden Eades